Two Men Arrested in Interstate Burglary Scheme

Two Men Arrested in Interstate Burglary Scheme

NEWARK, NJ—Two men from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, were arrested by special agents of the FBI this morning for their alleged role in a string of commercial burglaries throughout New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced.

Eliezer Medina, 36, is charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy and three counts of knowingly transporting stolen goods in interstate commerce. His brother, Jose Medina, 38, is charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy and one count of knowingly transporting stolen goods in interstate commerce. The defendants are scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court.

According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From Nov. 3, 2013, through August 25, 2014, the Medinas allegedly burglarized at least three stores in New Jersey and transported approximately $300,000 in stolen cash across state lines. The burglaries occurred in Paramus, New Jersey, on Nov. 3, 2013, and Nov. 24, 2013, and on August 24, 2014 in Pennsauken, New Jersey. The burglaries followed the same general pattern, including advance surveillance of the stores, disabling of the stores’ alarm systems, drilling a small hole in the emergency exit door to gain access to the store, and the use of pry-bars and vertical cuts to gain access to the stores’ safes.

The counts of conspiracy to transport stolen goods each carry a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison; the counts of transportation of stolen goods each carry a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison; all the counts are also punishable by a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross pecuniary gain to the defendant or loss to the victim.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark; the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Rick Fuentes, superintendent; the Wayne Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Clarke; the Paramus Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg; and the Lancaster Bureau of Police, under the direction of Chief Keith Sadler, for the investigation leading to today’s arrests. He also thanked special agents of the FBI, Philadelphia; the East Lampert, Pennsylvania, Police Department; the Manor Township, Pennsylvania, Police Department; and the East Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania; Police Department, for their roles in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Wangenheim and Barry Kamar of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.